Vehicle-curtain fastener.



F. A.NE1DER.

VEHICLE CURTAIN FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED Nov.. 9, IsI-e.

LQTYI l Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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FRED A.. NEIDER, 0F AUGUSTA, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNCR TO THE F. A. NEIDERCOMPANY, OFAUGUSTA, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION OF KENTUCKY.

VEHICLE-CURTAIN FASTENER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patent-eu Mar. as, rait.

without imposing any strain upon the curtain material during the lockingand unlocking operations. u

A further .obj ect 1s to produce an 1mproved vehicle curtain fasteneradapted positively to lock the curtain in position and to release itwithout removing it from the position it occupies when locked.

These and other objects are attained in the vehicle curtain vfastenerdescribed in the following specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional view of a curtain fastener embodyingmy invention, taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my improved vehicle curtain fastener.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of the curtain fastenerembodying my invention.

Fig. 4 is a view of the curtain fastener illustrated in Fig. 3, butshowing its locking member moved to its unlocking position.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the vehicle curtain fastener illustratedin Figs. 3 and Ll.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the locking member in its unlocked positionand mounted in its housing.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the locking spring housing. i

The vehicle curtain fastener embodying my invention consists of a stud 8adapted to receive a socket 9 which coperates with the stud to form myimproved fastener. The stud is provided with a headed end 10 beneathwhich a neck 11 of reduced diameter is provided, the head preventingdisplacement of the socket from the stud, in the manner hereinafter tobe more fully described. The socket member 9 consists of housing 12having aflange 13 from which extend prongs 14 the flange being providedwith an aperture 15 adapted to permit the passage of the stud 8therethrough.` Beneath the flange 13 and engaging its edge, is a washer16, this washer engaging the curtain material 17 when the prongs 14k arepassed through the curtain material insecuring the socket memberthereto. Against the rear surface of the curtain material an additionalwasher 18 is secured, this washer forming the back of the socket andadapted to have the prongs 14 bent over into engagement therewith asdisclosed in Figs. 1 and 5. Between the metal forming the top 19 of thehousing 12, and the top surface of the washer 16, is a space equal indepth to that of the flange 13, this-space being adapted to receive theends 20 and 21 of a wire spring locking member 22. Referring to mypreferred and modified constructions disclosed in Figs. 2, 3, -L and 6it will be seen that the ends 20 and 21 are bent to positions in whichthey occupy an obtuse angle with relation to one another the ends lyingin the same plane as the remaining portion 23, forming the handle withwhich the wire spring locking member is operated. Another portion 2lofthe spring locking mem'- ber is adapted to engage the periphery of thehousing 12 so as to lie concentric to and in close engagement therewithas in Figs. 2 and 3, this portion being made sufficiently small as topresent a snug fit in order that the wire spring member may be snappedover the edge of the housing flange to hold the socket in its lockedposition with relation to the stud. Housing 12 in the preferredconstruction disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 is substantially elliptical incontour and its aperture likewise is elliptical. Washers 16 and 17 inFigs. 1 and 2 are elliptical and have elliptical apertures. In thisconstruction the wire spring locking member 22 is journaled in notcheslocated centrally of the flange 13 of the housing 12, that is, midwaybetween the ends of the mounting member, so that the wire spring membermay be swung to either end of the housing 12 and be brought into lockingengagement with either end as disclosed in full and in dotted lines inFig. 2. In the modified form of my vehicle curtain fastener, the member22 is journaled off center from its housing 12a so that in one position,such as disclosed in Fig. 3, the wire spring locking member is retainedin its locked position in engagement with the flange and in its oppositeposition,

as disclosed in Fig. 1, the locking member is moved away from thehousing. 1n its locked position as disclosed in Figs. 2 and 3, the ends20 and 21 of the wire member, are

nturned to such a position that they engage from the stud. In Figs.V 1and 2, l have shown the stud as being located at the lower end oftheslot, the ends and 21 of the Vlocking member 22, holding the stud inthis position and locking the socket against disy placement therefrom.However, when the spring locking member is moved toits dotted line'position, the ends are withdrawn from the-neck of the stud and arebrought to an opposite position so that the socket is Y free to bewithdrawnfrom the stud. If the curtain is too long so that it wouldbulge when the socket is placed over the stud, with the stud occupyingthe lower end of the slot, the socket may be brought to cause the studto occupy the upper end of the elongated slot,rthe spring locking memberbeing movedto the dotted line position disclosed in Fig. 2 to lock thestud in this upper position, and lowered to the full line positiondisclosed in Fig. 2, .to release the stud, the

`'positions of the' stud and the wire locking member being reversedfor'the varying conditions of the curtain. The construction disclosed inFigs. 1 and 2 is particularly adaptedto'be used wherethe curtainmaterial is liable to .shrink when exposed to weather conditions, thesocket being placed Yin the new curtain materialin such a position thatthe stud will occupy the ,upper end of the slot'until the curtainshrinks, atV which time i yit willoccupy the lower end of the slot.

'When the stud occupies the upper end of the slot asY disclosed indotted lines in Fig. 2, the wire spring. locking member will lock it inposition when it is moved to the dotted line position in/Fig. 2, andwhen the stud occupiesthe lower end of the slot, the wire springlocking4 member will occupy the full Y linev position to lock it inposition as disclosedin Fig. 2. A feature of my invention ybothin thepreferred and modified forms, jisthat owing to the angularposition oftheV ends -Yof the wire s pringlocking member, with relation to oneanother, the member will be caused to be retained in its locked orunlocked lposition by reason of the vspring tendency 4of the wirev ofwhichk the locking memberv is constructed. Whenthe locking,

member-ismoved from its locked to its unlocked position o r viceversathe ends which normally Yoccupy Yan obtuse :angle position withrelation to one'k another, will be caused to straighten and lie inalinementrwith one another between the under side of the tops 19 and 19aof housings 12 and 12a respectively and the upper side of washers 16 and16 which coperate to straighten the ends as the locking members arebrought to their right angle positions with relation to the socketmembers'as disclosed in dotted lines at 25 and 25a in Figs. 1 and 5respectively. As

'the wire spring locking members pass this right angle position whenmoved to either side thereof, the ends 20 and 21 tend to return to theirangular positions to cause the locking member yieldingly to be held inits locked or unlocked positions.

It will be seen that with my improved curtain fastener, the socket willbe retained in position on the stud without exerting any strain on thecurtain material, that the placing of the socket in position on the studwill be accomplished without straining the curtain material, and that inremoving the socket fro-m the stud, the curtain will be subjected to nostrain.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A socket for vehicle curtain fasteners, having an aperture to receivea headed stud, and a locking member consisting of a wire loop having itsends journaled in the sides of the socket and projecting into theaperture, the locking member being adapted to be swung about its endsand in one limit of its travel to bring its ends into locking engagementwith the stud and in the other limit of its travel to disengage thestud.

2. A socket for vehicle curtain fasteners, having an aperture and arecess formed therein, adapted respectively to receive a headed stud anda wire spring locking member, and a wire spring locking member havingitsends extending toward the aperture and adapted to engage the stud belowthe head when moved to its locking position and to disengage the studwhen moved to its unlocking position.

3. A socket for vehicle curtain fasteners, consisting of a lock-carryingmember having a flange extending from the edge thereof and an apertureformed therein and located concentrically with the flange, said iiangehaving curtain-securing means extending therefrom and a washer adaptedto engage the flange and located between the lock-carrying member andthe curtain, said washer having an aperture formed therein in alinementwith the aperture of the lock-carrying member, and a wire spring lockmounted in the lock-carryingv member, said lock consisting of a loopedvwire spring having its ends extending through the flange of thelock-carrying member and into the aperture, said ends being bent out ofalinement with one another, whereby the ends in one osition, will bebrought into engagement with a headed stud beneath the headfthereof andremoved from engagement therewith when the lock is moved to its otherposition.

et. A socket for vehicle curtain fasteners, having an aperture and arecess formed therein adapted respectively to receive a headed stud anda wire spring locking member, and a wire spring locking member havingends extending toward the aperture and bent out of alinement withrelation to one another, said locking member being pivotally mounted insaid socket recess, eccentric to the center of the stud when occupyingits locked position within the socket, whereby the ends of the wirespring locking members will be brought to engage the stud when themember is moved toits locking position and whereby the ends will bedisengaged from the stud when the member is moved t0 its unlockingposition.

5. A socket for vehicle curtain fasteners, having an elongated apertureand a recess formed therein, adapted respectively to receiVe a headedstud and a wire spring locking member, the aperture being adapted topermit the stud to occupy either end thereof, and a wire spring lockingmember pivotaliy mounted in the socket and having its ends extendingtoward the aperture, located midway between the ends of said apertureand adapted to engage the stud below the head when the stud occupieseither end of the aperture and to be moved from its engaging position todisengage the stud when occupying either end of the aperture.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day ofN0- vember, 11916.

FRED A. NEIDER.

Witnesses:

EDWIN C. TOLLEMAN, WILL A. FIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

